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Zeltrax's Anime Recommendation Thread!

Hello one and all, my name is Zeltrax.
For those who are unfamiliar with me, I post frequently over at the otaku theater and hang out most of the time at the fun forum.
I've watched a lot of anime and wish to share my favorite series with you.
Actually, I'm both surprised and glad with this new Otaku Corner , heheh..I never thought I'll get a chance to show off my anime and write my thoughts about it
So without further ado, here's my list.

Anime

Spice and Wolf

TV series
Adventure, Fantasy, Romance

Plot/Summary:

Quote:

The peddler Lawrence Craft travels through the world selling all kinds of things. After visiting a village he discovers a sleeping girl under the hay in his cart. She has wolf ears and a tail. The wolf girl explains that she has been called a "God" but her name really is Holo and nothing else. Lawrence teases the girl a little, but after hearing more of her story is moved and decides to accompany her further north. On their travels the two have all sorts of adventures & often get into trouble but slowly the bond between them grows stronger.
Source: ANN

Why I recommended it:
Ever wonder whats it like to live as a merchant during the medieval period? No, let me rephrase that, the main character Lawrence is not just an ordinary merchant but he is also a peddler. A peddler is someone that goes from towns to towns to trade various items and profit!
At least that's what an ordinary peddler would be but not Lawrence because one day he met a wolf, not just any ordinary wolf..but a "god".
When I first started watching Spice and Wolf, I did not read the summary and thought that the setup is very, very unique.
I was completely pulled in by the setting and the two characters, Lawrence and the wolf god, Holo.

There is alot of dialogue and character interactions here which were done very well and doesn't feel awkward and flows naturally.
The developing romance between Lawrence and Holo during their travels plus the chemistry they have makes them cute to watch.
The story also puts them through trials and difficulties and from there, their characters develop.
It is also very addicting and I couldn't drop it until I finished it
Spice and wolf is both a good romance series and a somewhat intelligent guide for business.
Although you'll have to really analyze some parts to understand how it works.

Toradora!

TV Series
Comedy, Romance, Slice of Life, School

Plot/Summary:

Quote:

It's a new school year and Ryuuji Takasu discovers that not only is he in the same class as his best friend, Yuusaku Kitamura, but also Minori Kushieda whom he's had an undisclosed crush on for quite some time. Along with the two of them comes the “Palmtop Tiger”, tiny Taiga Aisaka and Minori's best friend. Despite her small stature, Taiga takes nothing from anybody and is secretly in love with Kitamura. Ryuuji and Taiga, despite their oil and water relationship, agree to mutually support each other in their quests for their hearts' desire.
Source: ANN

Why I recommend it:
Toradora! has touched the hearts of many..at the very least it has touched my heart
It started off with one unlikely pair, taiga and ryuji, that somehow joined hands and decided to help each other to win the hearts of their crush.
While trying to accomplish this, you'll no doubt be entertain by the comedy which is one of the strong point of toradora and also the cute moments between the characters.

However, as the story progress and as the two of them spend more time with each other..
They started to question their feelings and try to figure out their lives.
Is that person the one I really love?
Romance is bittersweet. Toradora portrays this well and hands you a bunch of chocolate.
It lets you experience that taste and does it so well that you can't help but fall in love with it. One episode I was smiling all the way and the other I almost cried
As you watch toradora, you'll be completely won over by Taiga and Ryuji and love the story as a whole.

Lovely Complex

TV Series
Romance, Comedy, Shoujo

Plot/Summary:

Quote:

Risa and Otani are always being laughed at as the comedy duo. Risa, a girl, is taller than the average girl, and Otani, a boy, is shorter than the average boy. The two are always bickering and even their teacher sees them as a comedy act. But as their friendship develops, so do Risa's feelings toward Otani.
Source: ANN

Why I recommend it:
This isn't a boy chasing after girls anime, its the other way round!
I don't usually see an anime with a theme like that, without spoiling too much, this is my short review.
I thought it started off as simple and was expecting a simple falling in love story. But I was wrong, sure..there is the falling in love but Lovely Complex is not just about that.
In a way there is unrequited love, friendship, a little bit of jealously and a lot of determination in this story of Risa and Otani.

Love can't be forced but that doesn't mean that one shouldn't try.
Risa determination and love for Otani is something that I don't see often and that is why I was filled with affection for this series.
The comedy aspect of this series is great too, I found myself laughing almost every episode..and if I remember I was laughing in tears on one particular episode.
I wish there were more to Lovely complex but I guess sometimes less is more.
This a really great love story, one that is truly complete.

After moving into the quiet town of Hinamizawa, Maebara Keiichi spends his days blissfully in school often playing games with his local friends. However, appearances can be deceiving. One fateful day, Keiichi stumbles upon news of a murder that had occurred in Hinamizawa. From this point on, horrific events unfold in front of Keiichi, as he soon learns his close friends may not be all that they seem. Based on the amateur mystery game by 7th Expansion, the story is told in a series of different scenarios.
Source: ANN

Why I recommend it:

Before watching the anime, I will really recommend you to get the visual novel instead.
The reason is that the Visual Novel is much more expansive and is deeper and with a better atmosphere..one that will not let you down.
If so, then why do I recommend this anime?
Simply because the anime is for people who could not afford the time or the patience..or the money for the visual novel.
That is not to say the anime is a bad adaption, it is genuinely not great but passable.
So for the people who do not wish to read the VN, this is Studio Deen's adaption of the phenomenal VN by Ryukishi07, Higurashi no Naku Koro ni.
Firstly, welcome to the world of "When They Cry".
When watching higurashi please keep in mind that everything happens for a reason and that everything is stuck in a infinite time loop.
Higurashi takes place over 26 episodes, with 4 time loops. So why would one be interested in watching something take place over and over again?
Simple. To seek the truth.
Although I call it time loops, not everything is the same, every arc(4-5 episodes) are different from each other yet similar. Your goal(one that you will realize while watching) is to figure what is happening in this insane story of people dying.
Don't be fool is what I would like to say but please, let yourself be fooled. Be fooled by the cute aspects and girls of this story and the top-notch comedy, that is the only way to enjoy it fully.
The horror and gore of higurashi is one of its strong point in the first season, so be prepared.
Mystery is the strongest point of Higurashi, so mystery lovers will enjoy this.
This story is one of despair and to be honest, I think it is one of the anime that should be watched by all.

Tokyo Magnitude 8.0
TV Series
Drama, Josei

Plot/Summary:

Quote:

The premise of the project is the 70% possibility that a magnitude 7.0 earthquake will occur in Tokyo in the next 30 years. The anime depicts what would happen if an 8.0 earthquake took place.

The story centers on Mirai, a middle school freshman girl who goes to Tokyo’s artificial Odaiba Island for a robot exhibition with her brother Yuuki at the start of summer vacation. A powerful tremor emanates from an ocean trench, the famed Tokyo Tower and Rainbow Bridge crumble and fall, and the landscape of Tokyo changes in an instant. With the help of a motorcycle delivery woman named Mari who they meet on Odaiba, Mirai and Yuuki strive to head back to their Setagaya home in western Tokyo.
Source: ANN

Why I recommend it:
This anime is really different because it is so real.
The sense of reality in 8.0 was done really well. You can definitively feel the urgency in the anime. Tokyo has fallen, foundations, buildings and monuments were all destroyed. But all of this is nothing compared to the lives of many.
Mirai and his younger brother Yuuki is one of the many that are trying to survive. They meet Mari who plays a mother-like role and together they try to get back home.
That is by no means an easy thing in this kind of situation.
Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 is an anime that shows what it is like to be in a situation after an earthquake with incoming aftershocks after aftershocks. It also shows what humans are capable of during such desperate times.
What various characters can do will touch you. There is not much of comedy here, so don't come into this anime expecting a laugh.
Instead, it promises a tear or two.

Life isn’t easy in feudal Japan… especially since the aliens landed and conquered everything! Oh sure, the new health care is great, but the public ban on the use of swords has left a lot of defeated samurai with a difficult decision to make concerning their future career paths! This is especially true if, as in the case of Gintoki Sakata, they’re not particularly inclined towards holding a day job, which is why Gintoki’s opted for the freelance route, taking any job that’s offered to him as long as the financial remuneration sounds right. Unfortunately, in a brave new world filled with stray bug-eyed montsters, upwardly mobile Yakuza and overly ambitious E.T. entrepreneurs, those jobs usually don’t pay as well as they should for the pain, suffering and indignities endured!
Source: ANN

Why I recommend it:
Had a bad day? A drop in your pay? A tiff with your friends?
No worries because Gintama is here
This crazy and amazing anime will make you laugh your jaws off and I'm not even exaggerating..
"Yorozuya" is the name given to the group of protagonist in gintama.
The name literally means "10,000 house"..something like jack of all trades, so that means they can pretty much do anything.
Like the name "Yorozuya", Gintama have pretty much everything that can be found in the anime world It promises to amuse, its that good.
Some people may be reluctant to start Gintama because of the first few episodes, but that's the bad apples in the show, after that it gets a lot better.
Gintoki isn't your typical shounen hero..instead he is the opposite of all shounen heroes

However, that doesn't mean that he is a first class jerk or anything. He can be a jerk at given times but he's actually(the entire cast too) a kind-hearted person deep inside.

There is also action in Gintama, the serious arcs as they are called is when everything became serious and real, that's when you'll see sides of the characters that they've never shown you before and a lot of fighting that won't disappoint.

In conclusion, Gintama is an anime that everyone should watch for its comedy value.
Its crazy and fun at the same time. The reason why I feel that the anime version is superior to the manga
is mainly because of the awesome seiyu (Rie Kugiyama, Tomokazu Sugita, etc)
Gintoki is my favorite male character at the moment too.

Okay, that's it for my reviews.
I'm not sure if it was read all the way but I'm glad I did it. It's my first time actually writing reviews for anime.
I'll try to add more when I find the time.
I hope that whoever is reading this enjoyed the review and will enjoy the anime I recommended

Re: Zeltrax's Anime Recommendation Thread!

What's the purpose of this thread, it's useless.

"The internet’s perfect for all manner of things, but productive discussion ain’t one of them. It provides scant room for debate and infinite opportunities for fruitless point-scoring: the heady combination of perceived anonymity, gestated responses, random heckling and a notional “live audience” quickly conspire to create a “perfect storm” of perpetual bickering." - Charlie Brooker

"I hold the wolf by the ears, I am in a dangerous situation and dare not let go" -an old saying in Latin